Steve Spraggon's photostream

This is one of my favourite places in Somerset. As much as I like the flatness of the levels and their mystical atmosphere, I love rugged landscapes and mountainous areas. Crook Peak is the nearest Somerset gets to that. It's like a slice of Dartmoor has been planted near the M5.

I haven't overly pushed the levels in this shot as the light was very subtle. The sun only broke through cloud for 30 or 40 seconds but that was enough to add gentle depth. I think that's my favourite type of light; the kind that balances on a knife edge between being lifeless or beautiful depending on where the clouds are.

Does the comp work for you? (best viewed large as there's a lot going on)

A bit of a departure from the usual outdoor stuff I do, this is Market House in the middle of Taunton.

Instead of fighting off the cold wind and rain, I fought off an even more annoying thing: people with clipboards! There were an army of them around the town centre so it was a difficult task. Thankfully no one ran me over either.

Banjo Pier, Swanage

Some awesome waves were breaking on the beach at Swanage and every now and again one would hit the pier and cause a splash. I waited for quite a while so that the sun was out and a big enough wave hit the pier at the same time. Strong winds meant that sunlight came and went so it was a game of patience to capture the right moment.

For a long time I have wanted to get down to Mupe Rocks in the winter. Finally, whilst the Lulworth ranges are open over Christmas, I made it down there.

These amazing ledges jut out of the water at low tide, offering stacks of potential and yet creating a headache for composition. After wandering around for ages I started to get a feel for the place and got this shot with some nice post-sunset light.

Thanks for following my pictures in 2011 and I hope 2012 is a great year!

C&C welcome.

At the start of the windy weather last week I visited the Black Mountains again to take in some more peaks. One place that has interested me for a while is Sugar Loaf, the lowest peak in the Black Mountains.

I almost didn't get anything from the top here because the winds reached the stage where it was a bit hairy to stand up, let alone try to steady a tripod. I managed to make this composition because of some shelter from a rock just out of shot to the left which broke the wind slightly. There is no indication of just how windy it was by looking at the picture though. However, as an indication, that big cloud in the top left travelled the entire frame in a matter of seconds.